SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES GEOGRAPHY Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 84 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent Natural resources: negligible Land use: arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated 3% Environment: subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat Note: some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada PEOPLE Population: 114,221 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991) Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 72 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives--Saint Vincentian or Vincentian Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed, with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist Language: English, some French patois Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970) Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.) Organized labor: 10% of labor force GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Kingstown Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK) Constitution: 27 October 1979 Legal system: based on English common law National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979) Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 Septermber 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984) Political parties and leaders: New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent BEACH; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS; Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Assembly--last held 16 May 1989 (next to be held July 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 15 Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO Diplomatic representation: none Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern ECONOMY Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful. GDP: $146 million, per capita $1,270; real growth rate 5.9 (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1990) Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.) Budget: revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.) Exports: $74.6 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets, flour; partners--UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15% Imports: $127.5 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels; partners--US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15% External debt: $51.4 million (1989) Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, clothing, starch, sheet metal, beverage Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products--bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $76 million Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976) Fiscal year: calendar year (as of January 1991); previously 1 July-30 June COMMUNICATIONS Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved Ports: Kingstown Merchant marine: 242 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,855,061 GRT/2,919,872 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 132 cargo, 11 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo, 13 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 44 bulk, 6 combination bulk, 1 vehicle carrier; note--China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience registry Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable) DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,339; NA fit for military service Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP